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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Help STOP the De-facto Wilderness Grab!

BLUERIBBON COALITION WILDERNESS ALERT!
Help Us Stop the Secretary that Would Steal Christmas!
Dear BRC Members and Supporters,

Just one day before Christmas Eve 2010, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar announced that he had signed an Order that seeks to embed a Wilderness review in every component of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planning, creating a unique status for Wilderness different from other multiple uses in BLM management.  Secretarial Order No. 3310 and Draft Wilderness Inventory Manual

The order appears to be one of the best Christmas gifts any Wilderness activist could hope for.  The timing was no accident.  Secretary Salazar's new order came just after the Lame Duck Congress adjourned, having failed to pass the massive Public Lands Omnibus Bill--a package that would have created millions of acres of new Wilderness, openly supported by the Secretary.  It was no accident the Order was announced after legislators had gone home for the holiday.  It was no accident that none but Wilderness insiders and their media outlets knew about it until the last minute.  And, it was certainly no accident that at the ceremony, the Secretary was standing right next to peolple like Peter Metcalf, CEO of Black Diamond Equipment, and that the ceremony itself took place at the REI Building in Denver - a virtual altar scene for Wilderness worshippers.


You have every reason to fear under-handed tactics even more suspicious than those attempted by some of their lame duck legislative allies.  Wilderness activists will likely try to use Secretary Salazar's Order to further paralyze meaningful BLM travel management and to create millions of acres of new Wilderness.

For decades, Wilderness activist groups have applied constrictor-like pressure on the BLM regarding Wilderness issues.  Some of BRC Legal's finest moments have come in rejecting those efforts, most notably the dismissal of the infamous SUWA case in Utah District Court on BRC-USA All's motion, eventually upheld by a 9-0 thumping in the U.S. Supreme Court.  Sadly, this looks like another inside job in the offing, through which anti-access interests seek to seize a window of political opportunity to again squeeze BLM into a never-ending, ongoing Wilderness inventory and management scheme.

The Order is as complex and convoluted as any validly promulgated law or regulation.  Its meaning is not readily apparent and will likely be determined by the courts.  Our staff has conducted an initial review, which is summarized at http://www.sharetrails.org/public-lands/?section=salazar_order.

We are not naïve enough to proclaim what Secretary Salazar's Order will ultimately mean.  However, we can fairly predict what Wilderness activists outside and within BLM will say it means.  They will try to use it as a landmark tool to close long-traveled routes on BLM land, not unlike they did with the Clinton-Gore Roadless Rule.  History also teaches that, while all other users of BLM lands and the economies supported by them will be affected, the trail users and advocacy groups like BRC are likely to be at the point of attack (if not standing alone) in meaningful opposition.

This opposition will require a lot of time, effort, coordination and skill.  It will require BRC, partners and stakeholders to be at their best.  And it will cost money.  I would love to wax eloquent about skinny David slaying wealthy Goliath, but I hope over the years you've learned better.  You know Secretary Salazar's friends did.

We hope you will consider an end of year donation to help us fund this important fight.  If you've completed your giving for tax year 2010, please put this issue on your list of campaigns to consider supporting in 2011 - and beyond.

Greg Mumm
Executive Director
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 101
PS: Currying political favor through public lands policy is not what Congress intended when it established the agencies that manage our public lands.
CLICK ON "STOP SALAZAR'S WILDERNESS" HERE TO HELP

https://www.sharetrails.org/secure/join_or_contribute/?c=1&other=Stop%20Salazars%20Wilderness

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Moons of December Photography by Del

December 2010 produced some very nice moons for photography. Here is my shot saying good-bye to the last full moon of the year, yet looking forward to many more nice moons in 2011. 

And next is a tripod night time shot I got of the Lunar Eclipse.
Here's hoping your 2011 is full of bright moons, clear visions, great trails, and happiness.
Del

Monday, December 20, 2010

50 Years of Off-Roading (Article to use)

Dear Editor/Webmaster and friend of landuse:
Here is my latest article for your use on landuse and access.  Feel free to post/share it in off-road friendly forums and newsletters.  I would appreciate a link if you use it.  Thanks, Del.
##
50 Years of Off-Roading
Reflecting on lessons learned and our outdoor future
By Del Albright, BlueRibbon Ambassador
The bikini clad Rock Zombie girls were all over my Jeep giving it the wash job of its life as I sat perched on my roof rack marveling at 50 years of off-roading.  They were raising money for landuse, so I’m always in for a good cause.   What really hurt, though was realizing the combined age of any two of the girls did not equal my number of years of trails and dirt roads!

I guess you could say I’ve seen it all.  I’ve lived in 16 states and been shot at in 3 countries.  I’ve logged 140,000 miles on my Jeep over the last 13 years of concentrated landuse wheeling; and it ain’t over yet!
With the sun shining and the suds a‘flying, I reflected on what I learned in those many years of backcountry adventures.  From that, I’d like to offer you some tips that may help you prevent a stumble or misstep in your off-roading, and help us keep our outdoor sports healthy and alive.
Those five decades have included everything from dune buggies to dirt bikes to four-by-fours. I’ve used motors to do things like hunting, fishing, backpacking, exploring, geocaching, rock hounding, four-wheeling, and just plain relaxing. From those adventures over time, I have condensed those lessons into the 5 “M’s.”
Read and download the entire article here in WORD or Adobe .pdf: http://www.delalbright.com/Articles/50_years_offroading.html
Thanks, Del
Save your trails (SaveMyTrails)
Cal4Wheel (CA4WDC)
DelAlbright.com (Del’s Site)

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Omnibus Bill is an End Run Around Public

LAME DUCK OMNIBUS LAND BILL NEEDS OUR VOICE!

Please take a moment and MAKE A CALL to your Senators about the lame duck Omnibus Bill about to hit us.
I am asking for phone calls and not emails as this is THAT important (and time sensitive).  Make a quick call and tell them NO Omnibus Bill – because:
1.      There’s not been any real public debate or input and even if the bill has some good stuff in it, we, the public need time to digest and review it.
2.      This is being shoved through (down our throats) in too big a hurry.  It’s not the way government was intended to work.
3.      The bill contains multiple land designations that merely CLOSE us out of our public lands – we need time to review, digest, comment, and CHANGE the language.  It certainly does not represent the will of the public.
4.      This thing contains vast spending measures that are not relevant to public land access.
5.      Basically this is a unilateral agenda to close millions of acres of public lands – YOUR land.

My friends in the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) have a great Action Alert with more information here and a link where you can get the phone number for YOUR SENATOR here:

PLEASE make that call right now.
Thank you,
Del

Save your trails (SaveMyTrails)
Cal4Wheel (CA4WDC)

Saturday, December 11, 2010

New Donors to Christmas Auction for Trails

BLUERIBBON COALITION, INC.
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     Contact: Del Albright, BRC Ambassador
     Phone: (209) 304-7693
     Email: brdel@sharetrails.org
     Date: December 1, 2010
BRC Charity Christmas Auction Still Live on eBay
POCATELLO, ID (December 10) - The BlueRibbon Coalition 2nd Annual Christmas Auction is live on eBay.
Thanks to all our supporters, bidders and donors, we are really making some trail-saving progress!  We have some very nice items up for bid and it is going to a good cause so don't let these awesome goodies get by you!
Get in on the fun at: http://donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=25971
If you're a business that would like to donate, we can still slip you in on the auction for this year. Just drop Del Albright (Auctioneer) a note with your donation today and we'll make it happen!
The list of contributing donors is long and impressive. We encourage you to support them with your holiday shopping.
Here is the list (so far) of companies donating to our auction.
  • Raceline Wheels 
  • BFGoodrich Tires 
  • GenRight Off Road 
  • Olympic4x4 Products 
  • Nemesis Industries 
  • Falken Tire 
  • Toytec Lifts 
  • BudBuilt 
  • Sedona Jeep School 
  • Barlow Jeep Rentals 
  • Master Pull 
  • Lovell Rock Racing 
  • Fisher's ATV World 
  • Big Dogs Offroad 
  • Rocky Mountain Truck Center 
  • Cruiser Corps 
  • Racer Tech 
  • Trasharoo 
  • Pirate4x4.com 
  • MetalCloak 
  • 4x4Wire.com 
  • Pull-Pal 
  • Trail Master Suspension 
  • Toyota Trail Teams 
  • Rocky Mountain ATV and MC 
  • Rubicon Express 
  • Del Albright's RLTC Course 
  • Roundeyes.com 
  • Parts Mike 
  • WARN 
  • SpiderTrax 
  • ARB 
  • Poison Spyder 
  • The Tugger 
  • Axial Racing 
  • Off Road Trail Tools 
  • Todd & Larisa Ockert 
  • Bushwacker 
  • Maureen Engle-Turner 
  • Axia 
  • Just Add Dirt 
  • Planet SideXSide.com 
  • Dirt Tricks 
  • FunTreks (Chuck Wells) 
  • N. Mono Chamber of Commerce 
  • Meadowcliff Lodge and RV Park 
  • RANGE Magazine 
  • WI Dual Sport Riders 
  • American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) 
  • Trail Gear 
  • Elite Motorcycle Tours, Moab
  • Numbskull Racing
  • Camel4x4.com
These awesome business/donors, with your bids, are making a brighter future for our trails.  Thank you, again.
Please let your friends know and spread the word about this incredible auction to help our sports!
See the auction items and bid here: http://donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=25971

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Charity Christmas Auction in Full Swing on eBay

The BlueRibbon Coalition charity Christmas Auction is in full swing and tons of goodies are going for great prices (while we build up landuse money to help save trails and keep our sports alive). It's awesome.

GenRight Off Road just became the big boy donor for a single donation with a Jeep TJ Roll Cage Kit in the mix. Sweet. Learn more about GenRight at http://www.genright.com

And here is the list of goodies for sale on eBay right now to help you keep enjoying the great outdoors. All the proceeds go to keeping our trails open around the country.
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/sharetrails/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=


Del